


Botch

by absolutelyCancerous (cal1brations)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Implied Relationships, Multi, One-Sided Relationship, Rebirth, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-13
Updated: 2012-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-09 21:02:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/458380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cal1brations/pseuds/absolutelyCancerous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Lea!” Isa splutters. He’s squirming on the floor, trying to use his hands to push himself up, but they’re so slicked with blood from his face, he only ends up slipping, over and over. “Lea, we have to get out of here,” he whispers. </p>
<p>You’ve never heard his voice sound so fearful.</p>
<p> One interpretation of Lea and Isa's final moments, breaking into Ansem The Wise's castle. Set directly after Birth by Sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Botch

Your footsteps echo in these hallways, loud and bold.

So far, you’re both in the clear.

Isa doesn’t seem as pleased (ecstatic, actually) as you are, for some reason. He silently walks beside you, his gaze flickering from door to door, wall to wall. Isa’s very good at keeping on the down-low, you’ll give him that. His footsteps don’t seem to make as much noise as yours do, anyway.

You’ve never been this far into the castle. The first time you tried this, you and Isa were roughly scooped up in violently-tight (and buff) arms, kicking and growling as you were thrown out on your asses, only after getting through the first couple hallways. You can still remember the feeling of landing so harshly on the cobblestone street, and you cringe quietly at the thought. Your butt was sore for a good while, after that.

But, this time, you’re much, much further in. In fact, it’s not long until Isa picks up his pace to a silent, stealthy jog towards a door, waving his hand at you and mouthing a sour “ _hurry up!_ ” in your direction. Quickly, you follow after him, grinning brightly at the door before you. 

This is what you’re after. 

Well, according to Isa, anyways.

No matter! Isa steps back, gesturing to the handle of the door for you. He doesn’t know how to pick locks; that’s half the reason you got to tag along with him. Eagerly, you take his place at the doorknob, digging out a paperclip from your pocket. According to Isa, this place isn’t high-tech— _they use_ actual _keys, so make sure you know how to jimmie this specific type of lock, Lea, or we’re screwed_. Isa gets kind of bossy sometimes, but he’s the best friend you’ve got (well, maybe Ven is running a eeriely close second, but you’re not telling Isa that) and he’s usually right about stuff, so you listen to him. As best you can.

With only two failed attempts, your third try at jamming the paperclip into the lock is the charm. The lock makes a satisfied “ **clunk!** ” as it unlocks. Isa’s digging through his pockets for something when you look over at him (to get praise, mostly) so you decide you’ll be the first to step inside.

Slowly, you pull open the door, and hear… voices? More like little noises. That’s weird. You frown, peering in the crack of the door. You don’t see much, though, because someone taps your shoulder from behind, and you bite back a gasp as you whip around to see a bemused-looking Isa glaring at you. With a sheepish smile, you pull away, and allow him the first peek in the crack of the door.

He opens it a bit wider, once he gets his face up to it, so that his whole head is nearly in the room. You’re about to tip toe and peek in above his shoulder, but there’s this loud noise and suddenly Isa’s staggering back, holding his face in his hands while he falls to the floor. 

“Isa!” You shout, forgetting to keep quiet. You don’t give a shit what’s behind the door now, because you’re stepping closer to him, nearly slipping? That can’t be right. You look down, only to notice the blood that’s pooling, around his head, spilling from between his fingers. He’s screaming in agony, and you stand there, stiff and unsure of what to do.

Then, you hear the footsteps. 

_Coming from inside the room and towards you two._

“Lea!” Isa splutters. He’s squirming on the floor, trying to use his hands to push himself up, but they’re so slicked with blood from his face, he only ends up slipping, over and over. “Lea, we have to get out of here,” he whispers. 

You’ve never heard his voice sound so fearful.

You’re leaning down, to help hoist him up by the arm. Looking at his face, you feel sick. You can’t tell where his actual wound is, because his entire face, from hairline to jawline, is nearly entirely covered and dripping in blood. The stench of copper that comes from so much of the red liquid makes your stomach roil, but you fight it, trying to pick him up. 

When you help Isa to his feet, the two fo you begin to sprint. Blindly, full-force, and scared shitless.

There’s so many hallways, and not all of them lead to the exit; this you know well. You remember Isa telling you how careful you two had to be, because getting lost in here would probably be the worst case scenario, if anything. 

You think about how wrong Isa was. You think about how Isa had **never** been wrong before.

You wing a sharp right, dragging Isa along by the arm. He’s keeping up with you, but he’s looking behind the two of you frantically. You can hear his pained whimpers, and it makes you run faster.

But then, Isa’s arm isn’t hooked around yours. You hear a “ _slap!_ ” that doesn’t sound like footsteps, it sounds like an **_entire fucking body_** and you stop to whip around, eyes wide at the sight of Isa being dragged away from you.

“Isa? Isa!”

You’re about to sprint after him; follow and pull him back towards you, but Isa must see your desire to go after him in your scared eyes, and he’s shaking his bloodied face at you. 

“Run! Lea, run! Get _out_ of here!” He screams, over and over, different variations of words, but they all mean the same.

**Get out.**

When he’s whipped around the corner, he screams out again, this time it’s raw and bloody and so _pained_ that you find yourself staggering backwards, subconsciously in a hurry to run away. 

The last time you’ll see your friend is when his face is nearly unrecognizable, you realize. With that look of fear in those golden eyes that you’ve never seen, nor ever will see again. It makes you feel sick, and maybe even remorseful as you leave him; leave him and everything behind to save yourself.

You turn back around, and start to run. Sprint away from your plan, sprint away from your friendship, sprint away from Isa’s pained cries.

Sprint even harder when Isa’s cries abruptly _stop_.

Hear footsteps behind you. Try very, very hard not to let the tears well in your eyes, nor your throat feel sore from all the bottled-up screams, nor tremble as you pump your legs harder, faster. Throw a Frisbee behind you, to stop (or at least faulter) your attacker.

Hear it hit the floor with a burp of hollow plastic against tile—a missed shot.

Feel a hand grab the beck of your keffiyeh, and efficiently yank you backwards by it. Gasp for air, clawing in front of you as you’re yanked clean off your feet, choking violently. Try to mouth Isa’s name, a call for help.

Scream for Ven instead.

Get turned around, whilst you hang from your keffiyeh, to face your attacker. Stare at him with frightful eyes. 

Plead with him to live. Choke and cry and gag. Pray that this isn’t the end.

Realize that no matter how hard you choke, cry and pray, that this is, indeed, the end. Realize there’s no hope for you, and that no one will even know you’re dead. Realize you’ll never see Ven again, smiling and excited and bubbly; all the things Isa never was.

All the things you loved him for.

Sincerely hope that you can live on after this, in the memories of all the people you’ve met. Hope your theory wasn’t a crock of shit, like Isa always said.

Scream yourself raw as everything flashes to black and pain sparks every nerve in your body. 

Take your next breath not as Lea, but as _Axel_.

Get it memorized.


End file.
